{"id":22020,"date":"2022-05-01T12:43:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-01T16:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=22020"},"modified":"2022-05-01T12:43:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T16:43:36","slug":"egypt-criticised-after-singers-jailed-for-belly-dancing-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/05\/01\/egypt-criticised-after-singers-jailed-for-belly-dancing-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt criticised after singers jailed for belly dancing video"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Human rights groups have criticised an Egyptian court for jailing two popular singers over a video they made with a Brazilian belly dancer.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the clip, they are seen lip-synching and smiling as the dancer, in a long dress and jacket, performs her moves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The video was a YouTube hit in 2020<\/a>\u00a0and has clocked up millions of views.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But the court in Alexandria found the men guilty of “violating family values” in what is being seen as part of a wider crackdown on artistic expression.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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They were also convicted of profiting from the video starring the dancer Lordiana, who has become well-known in Egypt for her slinky moves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The singers – Hamo Beeka and Omar Kamal – were sentenced to a year in prison and fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($540; \u00a3435). If they pay the same amount on top as a fee, they can have their jail terms suspended.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Human Rights Watch says Egypt is increasingly relying on what it calls “abusive and ill-defined family values” to exert control over social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It is calling for cybercrime law articles that it says criminalise free expression to be repealed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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At least a dozen young women acting as social media influencers have been accused of violating the law, with courts giving them hefty fines and sentences of up to five years in jail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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